“My Joy” Finds U.S. Buyer Ahead of NYFF Premiere

"My Joy" Finds U.S. Buyer Ahead of NYFF Premiere

Ahead of its New York Film Festival bow next Thursday, “My Joy,” the fiction film debut of veteran Russian documentary filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, has been acquired by Kino International for U.S. distribution. The film comes to New York following its world premiere in Cannes earlier this year, where it was the only feature from a first-time filmmaker in the main competition. It has since played at Telluride and Toronto, and currently boasts an impressive criticWIRE average of A-.

“My Joy”‘s plot centers around the adventures of young trucker Georgy, who travels through contemporary provincial Russia, while reminded of Russia’s brutal past during World War II. Along his journey, he encounters a group of lost souls, including an elderly hitchhiker, a young prostitute and a band of corrupt soldiers.

The acquisition was negotiated by Donald Krim of Kino International, and Winnie Lau of Fortissimo.

In addition to “My Joy,” Kino Lorber is also screening “Poetry” by Lee Chang-dong, “Le Quattro Volte” by Michelangelo Frammartino and “Tuesday After Christmas” by Radu Muntean at the New York Film Festival, which begins today (Friday, September 24th).

[Editor’s Note: This article was updated after its original publication.]